Sustainable development

Two ULiège teams win the Zero Waste Student Challenge 2019

Un concours organisé par La Fondation pour les Générations Futures


The prize money will be used to strengthen and develop the initiatives presented to encourage the reduction of waste from single-use items.

The Zero Waste Student Challenge

In early April, the Foundation for Future Generations awarded the prizes of the first edition of the Zero Waste Student Challenge to 15 inspiring projects by higher education students. Coming from 8 universities and colleges in the country, these students convinced a jury of specialists with their projects aimed at reducing the use of single-use objects.

Among them, ULiège students were rewarded for two distinct projects: "Environmental and societal footprint: a workshop to do better with less", initiated by a group of 15 Architecture students, supervised by a professor at the University of Liège, and "Don't screw up, take your flask", imagined by 5 students from the ULiège Solidaire Group (GUS).

Environmental and societal footprint: a workshop to do better with less

This project was carried out within the framework of a workshop on the notion of economy of means both financially and materially, in which this group of Master 2 students in Architecture is participating. Each year, a project at the request of a project owner is chosen to allow a complete process (from conception to realization). The students then find themselves in a collaborative process of self-management and must contact and listen to the project owner. The proposed projects advocate social values and aim at improving today's society.

This year, the group of 15 award-winning students is working with the ASBL Revers, which aims to "take care of suffering people by creating new spaces off-centre from the medical field" and which "uses culture as a universal instrument indispensable to any society". The initiative of these students consists in improving the spatial quality and comfort of their premises, which are very narrow for their activities.

This intervention is based on the needs of the members of the ASBL as well as on preliminary work carried out by student ergonomists and interior architects. This year, the flagship material is wood and more precisely the reuse of doors from demolition sites.

2019 zwsc illu 33 magalirenard1

Prize won: €500 to develop a website presenting the projects and to create a platform.

Photo © Magali Renard

Don't screw up, take your canteen!

The Groupe ULiège Solidaire (GUS) interfaculty, recognized by the Student Federation of ULiège, aims to carry out actions to raise awareness of the environment and solidarity on the campus of the University of Liège. The GUS acts in close partnership with the university NGO, Eclosio.

Five students of the GUS, from various backgrounds (social sciences, education sciences and population and development sciences), have developed the project "Don't screw up, take your bottle! ». This initiative proposes gourds to the students of ULiège, and calls on the authorities to install water fountains.

The sale of gourds, accompanied by awareness-raising activities, will make it possible to sensitize the whole university community (students, professors...) to the importance of using reusable containers in their daily lives. In addition, it will highlight the extraordinary consumption of plastic bottles on the University site.

Moreover, students often have a tight budget, so the goal is to make the price of the bottle as low as possible, while ensuring good quality.

 

uliege faispasdebourdeprendstagourde prix

Prize won: €2,500 to give a boost to the purchase of the gourds and make it possible to offer them at a price of 5 euros to students.

Pictures 1 & 3 © Fondation pour les Générations Futures


ODDs
ODD 12 : Consommation et production responsables
Établir des modes de consommation et de production durables Le douzième objectif est un appel pour les producteurs, les consommateurs, les communautés et les gouvernements à réfléchir sur leurs habitudes et usages en termes de consommation, de production de déchets, à l’impact environnemental et social de l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur de nos produits. Plus globalement, cet ODD réclame de comprendre les interconnexions entre les décisions personnelles et collectives, et de percevoir les impacts de nos comportements respectifs entre les pays et à l’échelle mondiale.

Share this news